Inside Streaming (Nov 10th, 2017)

Disney is developing a new "Star Wars" TV series that will air exclusively on its forthcoming streaming service, along with a new Marvel show and adaptations of "Monsters Inc." and "High School Musical." CEO and chairman Bob Iger announced the plans on the company's quarterly earnings call, along with the development of a new "Star Wars" film trilogy with director Rian Johnson. (Johnson helmed "The Last Jedi," the latest big screen Star Wars adventure, which hits theaters on December 15.) Iger also said Disney plans to produce four or five original movies a year for the streaming service, and that the platform will not feature ads. He expects the Disney streaming service to cost less per month than Netflix, in order to "attract as many subs as possible starting out." – VARIETY

Netflix has cancelled its deal with Louis CK following a New York Times report detailing numerous sexual harassment claims against the comedian. On Friday, CK posted a statement confirming that "these stories are true." Netflix had signed CK for two stand-up specials, but only one - "2017" - had yet been produced; the second will no longer move forward. In a statement, Netflix called the allegations against CK "disturbing" and cited his "unprofessional and inappropriate behavior with female colleagues" as the reasoning behind its decision. HBO also announced that CK would no longer appear on its forthcoming autism benefit show "Night of Too Many Stars," airing on November 18. FX, which produces "Louie" along with numerous other CK-affiliated shows, announced that their relationship with the comedian was "under review." The distributor of CK's new film, "I Love You Daddy," announced on Friday that it would cancel the movie's release and its New York City premiere. – DEADLINE

ESPN's new streaming service will be named ESPN+, and will launch in the spring of next year. According to Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger, ESPN+ will be available through an app, and will include streaming versions of ESPN channels plus additional coverage of "thousands of live sporting events." The app will also post updated scores and highlights. Though Iger has previously said that consumers could subscribe for ESPN+ content centered around specific sports, it's unclear if the entire platform will be available for cord-cutters or only to cable customers. Iger said that the monthly subscription cost would reflect that, overall, ESPN+ has less content than streaming services like Netflix or Hulu Plus. An unnamed source told CNBC this week that ESPN is planning to lay off about 100 employees after the Thanksgiving break. – ENGADGET

Hulu is the first video streaming app available for Nintendo's Switch console. The Hulu app first appeared in the Switch eShop update on November 9, and is currently available as a free download. (Following a trial period, a subscription is required to watch on the Switch, as with other platforms.) When the Switch launched earlier this year, Nintendo had indicated that, eventually, a number of the most popular streaming services would be available for the hardware. – TECHCRUNCH

British crime drama series "Top Boy" will move to Netflix with the help of executive producer Drake. "Top Boy," which follows drug dealers in London's East End, aired for two seasons on Channel 4 in the UK. The new season will reunite the creative team - including stars Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson - and pick up where the previous episodes left off. (Seasons 1 and 2 of "Top Boy" are currently available to stream on Netflix.) According to Cindy Holland, Netflix's VP of Original Content, rapper Drake was a fan of the original series and approached the company about developing new episodes. – VARIETY

Netflix released a first trailer for the German-language thriller series "Dark." The promo hints at a supernatural mystery involving missing children, and a town that's potentially trapped in some kind of time loop. (Many critics have likened the show to Netflix's breakout hit "Stranger Things," a comparison embraced by creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese.) The 10-episode series debuts on December 1. – VERGE

All eight films in the Harry Potter series will be available to stream on HBO starting January 1, 2018. HBO already has the streaming rights to the prequel film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as part of its HBO Go and HBO Now library. The network is also planning a Harry Potter marathon on New Year's Day, featuring all nine films in order. The entire line-up of Potter films has rarely all been available on a single subscription platform, requiring fans to purchase missing films from Amazon or iTunes. HBO and Warner Bros., which owns the Potter franchise, are both owned by Time Warner. – POLYGON

As part of a wide-ranging interview with Variety, director Christopher Nolan discussed his previous criticisms of Netflix, conceding that "I should have been more polite." Nolan, whose "Dunkirk" is thought to be a serious Best Picture contender in 2018, told IndieWire earlier this year that Netflix "has a bizarre aversion to supporting theatrical films," calling the company's insistence on simultaneous theatrical and streaming releases "mindless" and "untenable." He now tells Variety that, though he stands by his original point, he was "undiplomatic." Nolan also called Netflix's achievements "revolutionary" and "extraordinary." – VARIETY

Hulu shared a behind-the-scenes look at the use of stunts and practical effects on its new sci-fi action comedy series "Future Man." The show frequently references 1980s nostalgia, specifically "The Last Starfighter," including an emphasis on retro visuals and effects technology. "Future Man," produced by the team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, debuts on November 14. – IO9

RECOMMENDED: "ALIAS GRACE" ON NETFLIX

"Alias Grace" marks 2017's second large-scale, big-budget Margaret Atwood adaptation, following up on Hulu's acclaimed take on "The Handmaid's Tale." It feels like these stories are arriving at an important cultural moment, when discussion about the horrors women have privately endured at the hands of powerful men are filling up our newspapers and social media feeds. Both "Handmaid's Tale" and "Alias Grace" insightfully observe and comment on these situations, without feeling single-minded, or polemical; they're entertaining stories, told in a compelling fashion that's ideal for binge-ready Peak TV.

Netflix's "Alias Grace," adapted for TV by filmmaker Sarah Polley and directed by "American Psycho" vet Mary Harron, is loosely based on a true story. There was a real Grace Marks, an Irish-Canadian immigrant who was convicted of the 1843 murders of farmer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. Atwood's novel, and now the show, adds a narrative device - a young doctor, specializing in mental health, who becomes fascinated by Grace's case and wants to hear her story, which we then see related in flashback.

Because the bulk of the series is entirely set in Grace's head, and we learn quickly that she's an unreliable narrator, the show is constantly reinventing itself, making viewers question everything they've seen before. So I'll hesitate to go into further detail. But Polley and Harron have created a genuinely disarming mystery, hidden within a social commentary, and the combination is so deft, that it's 2 or 3 episodes in before you even start to wonder what Grace is accused of, or feel ready to hear her version of the events.

Most procedurals do the opposite: "Law & Order" episodes open with a crime, and get you hooked on the investigation, THEN try to get you to relate to or sympathize with the individuals involved. "Alias Grace" opens in such bewildering fashion, in a world overcome by toil and misery, that Grace Marks becomes our rock. She's the only narrative element that we trust and can depend on. We can't help but see things from her perspective, as everyone else is either yelling at her or ignoring her.

Much of the credit here goes to Sarah Gadon's remarkable lead performance as Grace. The idea that she functions as something of a blank slate, intentionally, allowing those with whom she interacts to project their own ideas, fears and prejudices on to her, is core to the storytelling. But how do you EXPRESS THAT as an actor? Gadon does a ton with very little dialogue, stray glances and the occasional fainting spell. Also, I think this is the first performance I've ever seen in film or TV that truly expresses how uncomfortable and awkward it would be to interact with people while wearing a bonnet all the time.

Like "Handmaid's Tale," "Alias Grace" is unflinching, and it can be tough to watch at times. These are the kinds of stories women were (and are) encouraged to keep to themselves, in many ways because of how uncomfortable they make other people. But it's an important story, and wonderfully polished and well-told, so I'm enthusiastically recommending it all the same.

ESPN's new streaming service will be named ESPN+, and will launch in the spring of next year. According to Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger, ESPN+ will be available through an app, and will include streaming versions of ESPN channels plus additional coverage of "thousands of live sporting events." The app will also post updated scores and highlights. Though Iger has previously said that consumers could subscribe for ESPN+ content centered around specific sports, it's unclear if the entire platform will be available for cord-cutters or only to cable customers. Iger said that the monthly subscription cost would reflect that, overall, ESPN+ has less content than streaming services like Netflix or Hulu Plus. An unnamed source told CNBC this week that ESPN is planning to lay off about 100 employees after the Thanksgiving break. – ENGADGET

Inside Streaming

News, updates, reviews and analysis of industry and consumer trends in the world of streaming